By: First Liberty Institue – firstliberty.org – June 28, 2018

Christmas In July! As Supreme Court term closes, First Liberty celebrates several victories that could change landscape of religious liberty

Dear Friend of Liberty,

This week has truly felt like Christmas in July. Today, we have yet another major religious freedom victory to announce as we head into the 4th of July holiday.

This morning, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision in the case of Mary Anne Sause, a devout Catholic, effectively protecting her right to pray in the privacy of her own home. Back in 2013, two police officers demanded entry into Mary Anne’s home in Louisburg, Kansas to investigate an alleged minor noise complaint. Although she politely complied with their requests, the police officers harassed and intimidated Mary Anne in the process and ordered her to stop praying…in her very own living room.

But with today’s decision, the Supreme Court overturned a lower circuit court ruling, defending Mary Anne’s First Amendment right – and that of every American – to pray in one of the most sacred spaces – the home.

“The Supreme Court’s decision today is a just outcome for Ms. Sause and a victory for religious liberty,” said Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of First Liberty. “No American citizen should ever be ordered not to pray in their own home by government officials.”

A CRUCIAL WEEK FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

At the same time, we are also celebrating former First Liberty network attorney – now Judge James C. Ho of the 5th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals – who for over a decade dedicated himself to fighting for religious liberty in a dozen legal matters, including some of the most crucial First Amendment cases. His leadership helped bring about today’s Supreme Court victory in the Mary Anne Sause case. We simply couldn’t have done it without his legal expertise and tireless dedication.

The fireworks began earlier this week, as First Liberty filed two crucial petitions with the U.S. Supreme Court. First, we filed a petition on behalf of high school football coach Joe Kennedy, who was fired by his school district for kneeling in a silent 15-second prayer on the field after each game.

Just one day later, First Liberty also filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the desecration (or potential destruction) of the Bladensburg WWI Veterans Memorial. Raised in 1925 as a joint effort between The American Legion and Gold-Star Mothers, the memorial is a gravestone in honor of the sacrifice made by 49 fallen heroes who gave their lives in WWI.

Then came the announcement of the victory in California in the National Institute of Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra case. In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a California state law, which forced pro-life pregnancy care centers to advertise information about state-funded abortions at the risk of being fined or shut down – a message that goes against their religious beliefs, and the nation’s highest court agreed.

This decision echoes the free speech arguments set forth in First Liberty’s amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief filed on behalf of 23 law professors and legal scholars from across the country.

HELP US CONTINUE TO LEAD THE FIGHT!

Of course, none of this week’s good news could ever happen without YOUR support. Clearly, thanks to supporters like you, First Liberty continues to make a major impact on some of the biggest religious liberty issues of the day – issues that will affect all Americans for generations to come.

With all of this week’s developments and victories, there’s never been a better time for you to support religious liberty. We’re now down to the final two days of First Liberty’s fiscal year end.

With your help, First Liberty’s team of attorneys and legal experts will continue to be first in the fight for the religious freedom of all Americans. This year, we have a unique Challenge Grant that helps multiply the impact of your gift, which helps us build our legal arsenal to continue winning the most critical courtroom battles.

Join us! Be first in the fight.

Source: First Liberty Institute